Conduit for electric railways



(No Model.)

F. O. BLAOKWELL.

GONDUIT FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 482,719. Patented Sept. 20, 1892. i

I! WITNESSES: K INVENTOR:

W M Way/M ATTYS.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

FRANCIS O. BLACKVVELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THElI-IOMSONJIOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

CONDUIT FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,719, datedSeptember 20, 1892.

Application filed December 4, 1890- Serial No. 373543. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS O. BLACKWELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, and State ofMassachusetts,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inConduits for Electric Railways, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a conduit designed, primarily, for electricrailway service, although it contains certain features of constructionwell adapted for a cable railway as well.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating these improvements, Figure 1shows a section of conduit partly in plan and partly in section. Fig. 2is a transverse section of the conduit, showing one of the yokes in sideelevation; and Fig. 3 is a detail of the slot-iron used.

In the views, A represents a series of trans Verse yokes placed theusual distance apart and hollowed out at B to form a continuation of thechannel of the conduit proper, upon which are mounted the track-rails CC, the latter serving, also, as one of the slot-rails. An opening isformed in the web of the yokes to one side of the channel proper B, andan insulating-block D, preferably of porcelain, is fitted in thisopening. This is shown in Fig. 1, where the block rests against theflange on one side of the yoke and is held in place by pins a, engagingits front face. Through perforations in the block D are strung electricservice-wires E, one or more of which will feed the railway-circuit andthe others may supply lighting or power circuits along the line of theroad. Metal tubes F may be employed to inclose the conductors, the tubesresting directly on the insulation-blocks. Between yokes there is aboxing G, which surrounds and protects the wires and pipes.

Between the two yokes seen in Fig. 1 there is a catch-pit to whichaccess may be had by removing the cover J. Other pits will be placedalong the line at desired points, and at the pits the feed-wire(designated by H) is tapped and connected with the supply-conductor I,one such connection being shown at b.

As already described, the rail C forms one edge of the slot. Theopposite slot-rail consists of an inverted channel-iron K, ofconsiderable width, which rests upon brackets L on the yokes, reachingup nearly to the surface of the pavement. One side flange c of the railforms a drip-edge for shedding water away from the insulators, and thecorresponding flange o is cutaway atfto allow it to fit down over theupper end of the yokes, Where it is bolted by bolts (1, passing throughslots 6, sufficiently elongated to allow for expansion and contraction.

The insulator-hangers M are preferably of the construction described ina former application filed by me, and openings 0 to receive them areleft in the channel-iron over the bracket-seats. In this way they areexposed at the surface of the street and can be replaced with ease.

I make use of a wooden beam or guard N to secure a maximum degree ofinsulation, as in my former application; but as in all conduitconstructions too much precaution in protecting the supply-conductorfrom moisture cannot be exercised, I find it advantageous to supportthis guard N directly over the conductor 1, where it will form anadditional water-shed, drip-points it being formed thereon, if desired.

Contact is made with the supply-conductor by an underrunning hingedcontact-shoe of a type well known in the art, which folds up under theaction of a spring when displaced from under the conductor, and is thenliable to establish a short circuit to the metal of the conduit. Thisthe guard effectually prevents, for, as will be observed, the shoecannot reach the metal of the'conduit until the plow is entirely clearfrom the conductor itself.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An electric-railway conduit comprising transverse yokes and slotrails, one, at least, of which consists of an inverted channel-iron setsubstantially flush with the street-surface and bolted to the yokes, asset forth.

2. An electric-railway conduit comprising transverse yokes andslot-rails, one, at least, of which consists of an invertedchannel-iron, one flange forming a drip-edge and the other bolted to theyokes, as described.

3. In an electric-railway conduit, the combination of transverse yokesand an inverted ICO . channel-slot iron forming a shield over the tionswhich receive the insulator-hangers, as

supply-conductor with an upright slot-rail set forth. 10 forming theother edge of the slot, as set forth. In testimony whereof I havehereunto set 4:. The combination, in an electric-railway my hand this 2dday of December, 1890. conduit, of the transverse yokes having .in-FRANCIS O. BLACKWELL. wardly-extending bracket-seats, with the in-Witnesses: verted channel-iron substantially flush with A. O. ORNE,

the street-surface and provided with perfora- WV. M. TWOMBLY.

